Speech at the Congress Celebrating the 90th Anniversary of the Founding of the Communist Party of China

Important speech delivered by Hu Jintao on July 1, 2011, at the Congress celebrating the 90th anniversary of the founding of the CPC. Contained in Selection and Compilation of Important Documents since the 17th National Congress (Vol. 2).

The Speech reviews and summarizes the struggle course and brilliant achievements of the CPC in the past 90 years. It points out: “Over the past 90 years, our Party has united with and led the Chinese people in writing a grand epic in the history of human development on this ancient land of China, evidenced in three earthshaking events”: the first is that our Party, firmly relying on the people, completed the New-Democratic Revolution, winning national independence and liberation of the people; the second is that, firmly relying on the people, our Party completed the socialist revolution and established the basic socialist system; and the third is that, firmly relying on the people, our Party carried out a great new revolution of Reform and Opening-up, creating, upholding, and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics.” Facts have fully proved that in the process of social development and progress in China since modern times, history and the people have chosen the CPC, Marxism, socialism and Reform and Opening-up.

History has also fully shown that the CPC truly deserves to be called a great, glorious and correct Marxist political Party and the core force leading the Chinese people in breaking new grounds in development. The “Speech” profoundly expounded the scientific connotation of the socialist path with Chinese characteristics, the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics from the height of theory and from the level of national development. The path of socialism with Chinese characteristics is the only way for China to achieve socialist modernization and create decent lives for its people. In taking the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, we should, under the leadership of the CPC and bearing China's basic national conditions in mind, pursue economic development as the central task, uphold the Four Cardinal Principles, be committed to the Reform and Opening-up policy, free and develop the productive forces, strengthen and improve the socialist system, promote the socialist market economy, socialist democracy, an advanced socialist culture, and a harmonious socialist society, and make China a prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced and harmonious modern socialist country.

The theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics is the correct theory to guide the Party and the people to realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation along the road of socialism with Chinese characteristics. This is a scientific theoretical system consisting of Deng Xiaoping Theory, the important thought of “Three Represents”, the “Scientific Outlook on Development” and other major strategic thoughts. It has systematically addressed a series of significant issues, such as what kind of socialism China, a large developing country of over one billion people, should build and how to build it; what kind of Party we should build and how to build it; and what kind of development China should achieve and how to achieve it. The system of theories of socialism with Chinese characteristics represents the continuation and development of the Mao Zedong Thought. The socialist system with Chinese characteristics, which fully embodies the distinctive features and strengths of socialism with Chinese characteristics, is a fundamental institutional guarantee for development and progress of contemporary China. It includes: the system of people's congresses which is China's fundamental political system; the basic political systems which include the system of multi-Party cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the CPC, the system of regional ethnic autonomy, and the system of community-level self-governance; the socialist system of laws with Chinese characteristics; the basic economic system with public ownership being the leading sector and economic entities under diverse forms of ownership developing together; and specific economic, political, cultural, and social institutions based on the fundamental political system, basic political systems and the basic economic system. The “Speech” emphasizes “For our Party to unite with and lead the people in forging ahead, make new progress in its work and win new victories for its cause, it must hold high the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, keep to and expand the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, uphold and enrich the system of theories of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and adhere to and improve the socialist system with Chinese characteristics.”

The “Speech” is a brilliant summary of our Party's historical experience in maintaining and developing the vanguard nature of a Marxist political Party in the past 90 years. It is pointed out that “A review of its 90 years of development shows that the following are essential for our Party to preserve and develop its vanguard nature as a Marxist political Party: The Party should free up the mind, seek truth from facts, advance with the times, take a scientific approach toward Marxism, use Marxism as an evolving theory to guide practice in new realities, uphold truth, correct mistakes, blaze new trails, and maintain the motivation that enables the Party to forge ahead in a pioneering spirit. It should serve the people, rely on them, work for their benefit with heart and soul, draw on their wisdom and strength, and always maintain close ties with them. The Party should appoint officials on their merits, attract as many talents as possible, use our cause to inspire, train, and cultivate high-caliber personnel, constantly absorb new blood, and maintain its vitality at all times. The Party should police itself and impose strict discipline on its members, face its own serious problems and resolve them in a timely manner and thus keep its soundness.”

The “Speech” emphasizes that “In order to improve the scientific level of Party building under the new historical conditions, to make Party building more scientific under the new historical conditions, we must continue to free up our minds, seek truth from facts, advance with the times, adapt Marxism both to China's conditions and to the current times, and make it known to the general public so as to raise the ideological and political awareness of the whole Party; to make Party building more scientific under the new historical conditions, we must recruit people on merits without regard to their origins, adhere to the criterion of evaluating cadres in terms of both political integrity and professional ability with priority given to integrity, and encourage outstanding individuals in all fields to join the cause of the Party and the state; to make Party building more scientific under the new historical conditions, we must follow the principle of putting people first and governing for the people, firmly adhere to the Marxist viewpoint on the people, purposefully implement the mass line of the Party, and maintain close ties between the Party and the people; to make Party building more scientific under the new historical conditions, we must follow the principle of fighting corruption in a comprehensive way, addressing both its symptoms and root causes, and combining punishment with prevention with emphasis on prevention. We must intensify efforts to improve Party conduct, uphold integrity and combat corruption so as to maintain the vanguard nature and integrity of the Party as a Marxist political Party; to make Party building more scientific under the new historical conditions, we must place power, Party affairs, and Party members under institutional safeguards, improve democratic centralism, and promote Party building in an institutionalized and standardized way and through due process. The “Speech” pointed out that the most striking feature of the new era is the Reform and Opening-up. Reform and Opening-up constitute a great new revolution carried out by the people under the leadership of the Party in the new historical stage, they are a critical choice that holds the future of contemporary China, they are what we must pursue in upholding and building socialism with Chinese characteristics and achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

On the way forward, we should continue to firmly hold on to the economic construction as the center and unswervingly take the path of scientific development; continue to vigorously promote the development of socialist democracy and keep to the socialist path of enhancing the socialist political system with Chinese characteristics; continue to promote vigorous development and enrichment of socialist culture, and unwaveringly develop an advanced socialist culture; continue to vigorously ensure and improve the people's wellbeing, and work to build a harmonious socialist society. Reviewing the 90 year development process of the CPC, the “Speech” pointed out that youth is the future of the motherland, hope of the nation, and future and hope of the Party as well. Young people in China must acquire a keen appreciation of the glorious history of tenacious struggles waged by the Chinese people in China's modern history. They should cherish a lifelong love for our great motherland, our great people, and our great nation. They should nurture lofty ideals and firm convictions, gain knowledge and skills, develop moral integrity and willpower, and prepare themselves for hard work so that they can fully release their talent and prove their value on the big stage of life. Let their youthful vigor shine with brilliance in the course of rendering great services to the Party and the people.